Nursing bottle holder



Jan.`23, 1968 M. J. BAUCOM NURSING BOTTLE HOLDER Filed March 23, 1966INVENTOR Myra J Baucom BY United States Patent O 3,365,153 NURSINGBGTTLE HOLDER Myra J. Baucom, 1056 Haskell, Kansas City, Kans. 66104Filed Mar. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 536,749 2 Claims. (Cl. 248-102) ABSTRACT FTHE DISCLSURE A nursing bottle holder comprising a pliable neck bandadapted to be placed about a mothers neck with the ends thereofpivotally and frictionally connected to a bottle mount at the motherschest, said bottle mount be pivotal with frictional resistance about anaxis normal to the mothers chest, and being adapted to hold a nursingbottle spaced outwardly from the mothers chest and with its axis`generally at right angles to the pivotal axis of the bottle mount.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in baby feedingequipment, and has particular reference to a device for holding anursing bottle as .the infant is being fed.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of aholder for a nursing bottle including a supporting neck band adapted tobe engaged about the neck of the mother and operable to support thebottle adjacent her chest in a position conveniently accessible to ababy held in one of the mothers arms. This leaves the other arm free forother purposes, rather than for holding the bottle, therebysubstantially increasing the case and convenience of the feedingoperation.

Another object is the provision of a nursing bottle holder of thecharacter described having means for adjusting the position of the'bottle suspended thereby to the preference and convenience of eachuser. Included are means for adjusting the elevation of the bottle withrespect to the mothers chest, for adjusting the angle of inclination ofthe longitudianl axis of the bottle, and for adjustin-g the distance towhich the nipple of the bottle projects to either side.

Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, eiciency anddependability of operation, and ease and convenience of usage.

With these objects in view, as well as other objects which will appearin the course of the specification, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a nursing bottle holder embodyingthe present invention, shown in its position of use, and having anursing bottle mounted operatively therein,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken on line II-Il ofFIG. l,

FIG. 3 is a front elevational View of the parts as shown in FIG. 2, butwith the bottle and bottle mount removed, and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but with the friction disc alsoremoved.

Like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the severalviews, and the numeral 2 applies generally to a bottle mount including aflat, rectangular board 4 of rigid, light-weight material such asplastic, and a strap 6 of elastic the opposite ends of which are securedrespectively to a pair of opposite edges of said board, as by rivets 8.A nursing bottle 10 of ordinary configuration is adapted to be insertedbetween board 4 and strap 6, and to be held firmly lbut yieldablyagainst said board by the resilience of said strap, with thelongitudinal axis of the bottle parallel to the forward face of saidboard. Said bottle is provided at one end with a refce movable cap 12and the usual nursing nipple 14, as is Well understood in the art. Board4, centrally of its rearward face, is provided with `an integral,rearwardly extending tubular boss 16 of circular configuration, the axisof said boss being at right angles to board 4.

A square rivet 18 is fixed non-rotatably at its forward end in board 4,and extends rearwardly through boss 16, coaxially therein, and is fixednon-rotatably at its rearward end centrally in a stabilizer plate 20formed of a flat, circular sheet of light-weight material such as areasonably rigid plastic. Said stabilizer plate is adapted to restagainst the mothers chest to stabilize the bottle as will be described.A diameter of about six inches has been found to be satisfactory forsaid plate. Mounted coaxially on rivet 18 against the forward surface ofthe stabilizer plate is a circular hub 22 having the form of a forwardlyopening cup, there being a cylindrical recess 24 formed in the forwardface thereof, coaxially of rivet 18.

Mounted slidably but non-rotatably on rivet 18, intermediate hub 22 andboard 4, is a friction disc 26. At its rearward face, said friction discis provided with a projecting boss 28 which is engaged for axial slidingmovernent in recess 24 of hub 22, and at its forward face said frictiondisc is provided with a recess 30 in which :boss 16 is engaged for axialsliding movement. A spring washer 32 encircles rivet 18 between board 4and friction disc 26, and is operable to urge said members resilientlyaway from each other. Friction disc 26 is also provided with aperipheral ange 34 which is of greater diameter than hub 22, extendingoutwardly therefrom in all directions, and which is spaced forwardlyfrom plate 20. Board 4, friction disc 26, hub 22 and stabilizer plate 20are all preferably secured against rotation relative to each other byvirtue of having square holes formed therein for receiving square rivet18.

The bottle mount thus far described is supported by a neck band 36adapted to pass around the mothers neck, whereby the mount is suspendedat her chest, the parts then having the position shown in FIG. l, asviewed from the front. Said neck band may be formed of a flat strap ofheavy cloth or other pliable material. Each end of said band has acircular hole formed therethrough which is bound with a circular metalbinder 38 securely aiiixed to the band. Both of binders 38 are rotatablymounted on hub 22 of the bottle mount, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.Said binders are thus disposed between stabilizer plate 20 and ange 34of friction disc 26, and are thereby resiliently pressed together by theaction of spring washer 32. This provides a frictional resistance torotation of the two binders 38 relative to each other, and also torotation of the bottle mount about rivet 18 as an axis. Neck band 36 isalso divided at a point spaced apart from hub 22, the resulting endportions being joined adjustably together by a snap fastener consistingof a socket member 40 secured in one end portion of the band, and aseries of cooperating stud members 42 secured in the other end portionof the band in longitudinally spaced apart relation. Socket 40 may bejoined selectively with any one of studs 42.

In use, the mother simply engages neck 'band 36 around her neck so thatthe bottle mount is suspended at her chest, in the position shown inFIG. l. The bottle nipple 14 will then be conveniently accessible to ababy held in her arms.

There are several adjustments which can be rnade to adjust the device tothe convenience, comfort, or preference of both the mother and the baby.The vertical elevation at which the bottle is supported adjacent themothers chest may be changed by engaging snap fastener socket 40 withany desired stud 42. Any such change will tend to change the angularityof the ends of the neck band at hub 22, and this change of angularity isof course resisted by the frictional load imposed on binders 3S.However, once the length of the neck band has been adjusted as desired,a downward pull on the bottle mount will force binders 3S to turn on hub22, so that the neck band will lie flat and smooth. Moreover, thefrictional resistance to rotation of binders 38 relative to each other,coupled with the use of abroad neck band, has been found -to provide theuseful function of resisting to a quite marked degree any side-tO-sideswinging or swaying of the bottle as the mother moves, thereby allowingthe mother a greater freedom of movement. A neck band at least about twoinches wide has been found adequate for this purpose. If said neck bandwere very narrow so as to be Anon-resistant to iiexure in its own plane,or if its ends were freely pivoted on hub 22, there would besubstantially no resistance to lateral swinging ofthe bottle.

The broad, flat contact of stabilizerplate 20 with the mothers chesttends to hold the mount firmly with rivet 18 projecting normally to thechest, preventing the weight of the bottle from -pulling the forward endof the rivet downwardly to a more nearly vertical position. Thus thebottle is at all times positioned forwardly from the mothers chest sothat the nipple cannot be contaminated by contact with her clothing, andis maintained uniformly at the desired elevation.

The angle of inclination of the axis of bottle can be adjusted to theposition of the baby, and accordin-g to the degree to which the bottlemay be filled at any given moment, by gripping mount board 4, or thebottle itself, and turning it about the axis of rivet 18, this movementbeing yieldably resisted by the frictional connection between the mountstructure and binders 3S at the ends of the neck band. Overcoming thisfriction requires a greater force than is required to support the mountand bottle against rotation, so that once the bottle is set at thedesired inclination, the frictional connection will maintain it in thatposition. Also, this rotating adjustment should preferably be performedwhile at the same time maintaining a downward pressure on the mount totension the neck band, in order that the relative angularity of the endsof the band engaging hub 22 will not be changed.

Finally, it will be seen that by sliding bottle 10 longitudinallybetween board 4 and elastic strap 6, the distance to which the `bottlenipple 14 extends to either side of the vertical midline of the motherschest may be adjusted. This is important in accommodating the devi-ce tothe posi- :tion in which the mother habitually or most comfortably holdsthe baby in her arms.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention,it will be readily apparent that many minor changes of structure andoperation could be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A nursing bottle holder comprising:

(a) a neck band adapted to encircle the users neck and comprising abroad, hat strap of -pliable material which is adjustable in length, andthe end portions of which are disposed in planar overlapping relation,

(b) a bottle mount adapted to support an elongated nursing bottle havinga nipple at one end thereof, and comprising a rigid planar board, anelastic strap having its opposite ends secured respectively to oppositeedges of said board, whereby a nursing bottle may be inserted andrcsiliently gripped between said board and said strap with the bottleaxis parallel to said board, and a broad, at stabilizer plate parallelto but spaced apart from said mount board at the side thereof oppositefrom said strap, and

(c) means attaching said bottle mount to said neck band whereby theformer is supported adjacent the users chest in such a position that thelongitudinal axis of said bottle is disposed generally parallel to thewearers chest, said attaching means comprising a pivot pin at rightangles to and interconnecting said mount board and said stabilizer platewhereby to prevent relative rotation thereof, a hub member mountedcoaxially on said pivot pin adjacent said stabilizer plate, theoverlapping end portions of said neck band being rotatably mounted onsaid hub with the planes of said band ends at right angles to said pivotpin, and resilient loading means carried by said Ipivot pin and pressingsaid overlapping neck band ends against said stabilizer plate, wherebyto resist frictionally any rotation of said neck band ends relative toeach other or to said stabilizer plate.

2. A nursing bottle holder as recited in claim 1 wherein said frictionloading means comprises a friction disc mounted coaxially on said pivotpin intermediate said hub and said mount board, said friction disc beingaxially slidable on said pivot pin but secured against rotation thereon,and having a peripheral ange cooperating with said stabilizer plate togrip said overlapping end portions of said neck band therebetween, and acompression spring member interposed between said friction disc and saidmount board.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,661,177 12/1953 Hofer 248-291 X2,673,059 3/1954 lLustig 248-291 X 2,907,539 lO/l959 Vardan 248-1042,938,693 5/1960 Vardan 248-104 3,065,944 1l/1962 Liebendorfer 248-102JOHN PETO, Primary Examiner.

R. P. SEiTTER, Assistant Examiner.

